, and had doubtless in his mind many
cases of those who entering as seamen found their way to the quarterdeck,
and knowing he had only to ask the Walkers for letters of recommendation
for them to be at his service, he determined to take the important step
and volunteer into the Royal Navy. It must be remembered that this act of
leaving employment which, to most men of his position, would have seemed
most satisfactory, was not the act of hot-headed youth, no step taken in
mere spirit of adventure, but the calmly reasoned act of a man of
twenty-seven years and some eight or nine years experience of both the
rough and smooth sides of maritime life.

Several letters were written to Mr. Walker, one or two of which relating
to a later period were seen and copied by Dr. Young, but they fell into
the hand of a niece, who unfortunately, not recognising their value,
destroyed them shortly before her death, which occurred some years ago.
However, it is certain that he wrote one about this time and evidently
received a favourable reply, for he shortly afterwards wrote again
acknowledging the service done him.

ENTERS NAVY.

Having made up his mind how to proceed, Cook went to a rendezvous at
Wapping and volunteered into H.M.S. Eagle, a fourth-rate, 60-gun ship,
with a complement of 400 men and 56 marines, at that time moored in
Portsmouth Harbour. On the Muster Roll, preserved in the Records Office,
the following entry occurs: "161 from London rendezvous, James Cook,
A.B., entry, June 17th 1755, first appearance June 25th 1755." On the
24th July, that is, thirty-seven days after the date of entry into the
Navy, he is rated as Master's mate, a position he held till 30th June
1757, when he quitted H.M.S. Eagle.

His appointment was facilitated by the difficulty experienced in
obtaining men for the Service, as may be gathered from Captain Hamar's
letters, who writes applying to the Admiralty for permission to break up
his London Rendezvous, as he says it has "procured very few men, and
those only landsmen." Again, he complains of the quality of the men he
has received, and says he is one hundred and forty short of his
complement. In another letter:

"I do not believe there is a worse man'd ship in the Navy. Yesterday I
received from the Bristol twenty-five supernumeraries belonging to
different ships, but not one seaman among them: but, on the contrary, all
very indifferent Landsmen."

These complaints were endorsed by Captain